Devin’s been the main one biggin’ up Phil’s music but perhaps it’s time we all pay a little more attention. It’s hard not to @ least be curious when you see a lineup that features Chef alongside several the notables from the nation’s capital. While the original was already strong, bolstered by Raheem’s chorus and one helluva soundbed, the combined effort on the remix make the DMV’s version of Hip-Hop sound soulful, each artist making an earnest statement to stay true to their start. Read the rest of this entry »
I remember the post I wrote comparing Fashawn’s first album to Illmatic and the subsequent reaction I received in the comments. Of course, I expected this, as I was aware that the majority of people most likely wouldn’t be open to my point simply because I was apparently committing Hip-Hop blasphemy by associating a new artist with arguably the greatest album of all-time. Read the rest of this entry »
When I found out that I would be interviewing Tila Tequila about her new album, Welcome to the Dark Side; where she’d be spitting ferocious bars over a bevy of banging beats, I knew the kind of questions I wanted to ask: What is the fundamental difference between rap and Hip-Hop? Is Aquemini really better than ATLiens? M-1 or Stic.Man?
It’s always a pleasure to delve into the inner workings of the well-oiled machine that is a lyricist’s mind. And Tila was no different. As a music journalist, this was a culmination of my life’s work. This was my Frost/Nixon.
Sit back, read and listen to an interview that will shake Hip-Hop to its core. Prepare to be astounded.
TSS: Hi, how’s it going?
Tila Tequila: I’m good, how are you?
TSS: Great. We were supposed to have this interview last week, but they said you had bronchitis.
Tila Tequila: Yeah, I have massive bronchitis, like, “oh my God.” I wasn’t used to the drastic change in weather and I smoke. In New York, it doesn’t seem like you’re smoking as much, but you’re actually smoking more. I had so much to do in one day to the next and the next that, by the end of the day, I just got sick and got bronchitis. It was just horrible.
TSS: I’m sorry.
Tila Tequila: I’ve been in bed ever since I got back to L.A. I’m still in bed now. [Coughs] Did you hear that? That’s my bronchitis. It’s disgusting.
The Staten Island trio The Higher Concept have managed to transform the already dope “I Need A Dollar” by Aloe Blacc into a banger of a Hip-Hop record. So many times when rappers spit over tracks that can stand on their own greatness, it actually detracts from the overall song. Instead, THC allow Blacc’s soulful voice to dominate the hook, while they handle the verses. It’s a great blend.
The video is also well-directed in its minimalism. I’ve definitely got my eye out for The Higher Concept in the future.
Using classic rock songs as Hip-Hop beats is as old as the genre itself—just ask Steven Tyler. So if Memphis-based FreeSol aren’t breaking any boundaries by fusing rhymes and rock riffs, they’re at least sticking to a tried and true formula. They’re also putting their own spin things by trading a record and turntables for a live band and incorporating the grunge era into the catalog of acceptable classic rock samples. Read the rest of this entry »
Well, Cleveland got exiled from the playoffs once again, this time at the hands of the C’s. As much as I despise Boston (90% due to Paul Pierce), I gotta hand it to them for showing that five is greater than one: or none in the case of game five. In the meantime, Tony Allen’s monstrous dunk over Sweet n’ Lo Jamison deserves some burn since it pretty much caps how Boston beat the Lebroners: swiftly, efficiently and, according to some, unexpectedly. Read the rest of this entry »
I saw Janelle Monáe in Austin at last year’s SXSW. She was running down the street in a zoot suit, with five guys behind her dressed accordingly. I have no clue where she was going, but I was totally fascinated. That fascination persists after watching my old Chicago homie DJ RTC from Ruby Hornet spend three minutes with Janelle. Read the rest of this entry »
Last Tuesday was a special day for us at TSS. B.o.B’s debut effort hit stores and became the #1 album in the country. This was particularly notable as Bobby has been an artist that we’ve followed and written on for two years. As I mentioned before, our efforts to share his music with you didn’t go unnoticed, as TSS was thanked in The Adventures of Bobby Ray’s liner notes. For us, this is a huge acknowledgment as it’s the first time we’ve been mentioned on the liner notes of a retail album. So we must doff our caps to B.o.B and his team for the recognition.
It’s been a joy to watch B. Rich, TJ, Playboy Tre and Bobby ascend to their proper place in music, but let’s not get it twisted, we’ve supported Bobby first and foremost because the music has been fantastic throughout.
Because a few of you have only recently become fans, we thought we’d take you back on a journey through our two years of Bobby Ray coverage so you can witness his rise to prominence ass seen through the TSS lenses. For those of you who have followed Mr. Ray since the beginning, this should be a welcome trip down memory lane.
April 2008 — While we’d posted a few mixtapes in the Strays prior, our very first write-up on B.o.B came two years to the day before Adventures of Bobby Ray came out. Gotty™ shared “Fuck You” off of B.o.B’s What About B.o.B mixtape.
June 2008 — TC followed up in by showcasing B.o.B’s 12th DimensionEP, a collection of four bangers that stayed in rotation.
October 2008 — One song from that EP, “I’ll Be In The Sky” caught MZ’s attention. The song also landed B.o.B his first MTV video. I still argue that if “I’ll Be In The Sky” were re-released today, it’d be another top song in the country. But what do I know?
November 2008 — B.o.B’s Who The F#*K Is B.o.B brought a heavy dose of great music right in time for Bobby’s placement on the infamous XXLFreshman 10 cover.
December 2008 — We had our very first Smoking Session with B.o.B as Lola P. sat down with the budding star to discuss his prospects for the future and the possible toll fame takes on a newcomer.
March 2009 — For our very first GOP, we wanted to highlight someone we were sure was going to be the next big thing as our headliner. The natural pick was B.o.B and he did not disappoint. For most of the crew, it was our first time seeing the man live, and doing so only further convinced us that we were watching a future star.
June 2009 — To carry on the momentum from SXSW, B.o.B dropped his biggest project yet, B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray: The Mixtape. This project showed tremendous growth, whetting the world’s appetite for the eventual album.
September 2009 – As B.o.B-mania was starting to take flight, I caught up with the man himself in Chicago to talk about his performing style, rumors of label troubles and a possible T.I. and Coldplay collaboration. Despite all the fame Bobby was gaining, he was still the humble, jovial cat I met in Austin a few months prior.
January 2010 — Grades were in. B.o.B proved to be top of his XXL freshman class, scoring an A for a stellar year that would only be a precursor for his whirlwind year ahead.
February 2010 — Back when the album was supposed to drop in May, Bob and LRG teamed with DJ Drama to drop the May 25th mixtape which featured an early version of “Bet I” and “Don’t Feel So Good,” a song that helped MZ get through a particularly difficult evening.
April 2010 — It was only fitting that we’d be there at the 11th hour, capturing B.o.B’s excitement and anticipation just 24 hours before his album landed in stores. It was a special moment and one that we at TSS were happy to be a part of.
Beyond — Though it’s been a two-year journey watching B.o.B get to where he is now, don’t think that it’s over. As long as he keeps cranking out music that moves us, we will keep writing on him and keeping his name and music on your minds.
Real life documentarian business right here. Milkcrate Athletics links with famed photographer Janette Beckman and the God MC, Rakim, to produce this limited run of “Godly Collabo” t-shirts. All three are influential in their own right, shaping the world in their vision. The tees will be available in limited numbers @ DrJays in the next few days. Read the rest of this entry »
Sometimes, it’s all in the voice. The ILLZ’s voice haunts me. It’s brooding and unmistakable, thundering like the dark beats he tends to rap over. That’s why this video for “The Moment You Feel Definitive Hope” is the perfect treatment. He sometimes sounds like he’s recording in a dark abyss and is the only man that can hear his voice, making it feel like you’re listening to his internal monologue more than hearing him perform.
His LP,The Pursuit has been getting some considerable burn, playing when I need to get my energy right to write and gather my thoughts. I don’t know where these samples come from, but each beat is smooth as hell, creating excellent mood music.
Love at first sight listen. Paper Route Gangtaz never fail to bring it and they do it once again with “Anutha Night,” the leading leak from their upcoming Hood Headlinaz Volume 2: Still Headlinin’ mixtape. Lyrical food for thought it is not but that’s not to say that there isn’t value in their words. Each member knows how to manage their delivery with precision, providing another element that simply strengthens the track. But, as always, the production is the PRGz selling point and Shawn Coleman digs deep, coming up with Squidbillies’ “Power Ballad” for the sample. The powerful guitar chords and drum patterns drive the track forward with the end result being a fearless sound perfect for summer’s soundtrack. Read the rest of this entry »
On account of increased competition and our collective attention span being about two centimeters tall, the new generation of successful rappers have been obligated to become all-inclusive genre jumpers. So, while cover-all artists like Drake and Bobby Ray continue to climb the charts, it’s only fitting that starving starlet Kellee Maize would chose a less aggressive and more remedial archetype for her first official video, “Yesterday.”
Ambitiously adding the title of “singer” around her aleady heavy resume of rapid fire raps, confident Hip-Hop and overall resilience, this Steel City native speaks on personal and public growth in this soul searching new single from her upcoming album, Age Of Feminine.
But, that’s the music. The video, on the other hand, is unfortunately God-awful.
First of all, this shoddy sequence of unorganized scenes is everywhere and nowhere at once. Are we doing unpracticed, choreographed dances, or mourning at the cemetery? Was shorty supposed to be Lil’ Kellee, or what? Was that SNES? Secondly, the overall quality was reminiscent of an elementary school instructional video, circa 1993. Oh, and you know that graffiti background you thought would jazz up the place, Mr. Videographer? Well, it looked like the background to the Saved By The Bell intro. Straight up.
So, to management at Maize enterprises, put down the Beta tapes and go cop Final Cut Pro. Call The Motion Family. Do something. Kellee’s music has so much potential, but in our visual-based 1080 mega-pixel society, her career will never take off with visuals that belong on amateur hour.
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